Across two days, participants will learn the basics of the craft of memoir, through the lens of motherhood.
We’ll use talks, examples, and exercises to study inspiration, characters, imagery, voice, scenes, and point of view.
We’ll explore the mind/body separation of maternity, writing with compassion, the unexpected emotions, and the identity shifting mind f*ck that is motherhood.
Structure
This masterclass will be delivered across two Saturday mornings. Sessions will be recorded with replays available.
November 8th 10am- 1.30pm
Mind: writing shamelessly, showing not telling (and why it matters), and the creative cycle.
Body: writing embodiment, metaphor, and the extraordinary.
November 15th 10am- 1.30pm
Emotion: building scenes, and who decides what's worth writing about?
Identity: writing transformation, voice, and point of view.
Bonus
With all that knowledge and inspiration, participants will come away with lots written and ready to write more.
But how often have you done a workshop and then not written again for 6 weeks? Yeah, me too! I don’t want that to happen here. I don’t want you to feel alone in your creativity. So for 30 days after the masterclass you'll receive a daily email with a generative motherhood themed writing prompt that can be done in 5 minutes or half an hour or an hour, however long you want. Something to KEEP momentum going.
More to it than Milk: writing motherhood
a two day memoir masterclass
Overview
We all come from a womb. We are nourished in our earliest months by milk. We have a four-chambered heart that pulses life to each extremity of our body. Yet, through the most physical experience of our lives, mothers are expected to bounce back, take it in our stride, and smile while we do so.
Maternity is a period of change, of transformation. Both physically and mentally. It also changes out perspective, we see things that have always been there in a new light.
Using a combination of creative prompts, writing samples, and craft insights, this masterclass explores the identity shifting experience of motherhood. Because as mothers, writing our own experience helps us reclaim the narrative, and light a path for mothers to come.
8 & 15 November 2026
10:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Online via Zoom
some words on my previous writing spaces for mothers:
“I just want to thank you for the workshop yesterday. It felt like such a cosy, intimate, safe space to share and reflect and embrace being a bit vulnerable. I often feel a bit anxious on Zoom group calls but you made me feel fully at ease and actually just damn excited to write and get back into a more consistent writing practice. I haven't felt that inspired in a long time, so thank you so much. Also, just loved to have a moment for me, to look back, and reflect on those early days of motherhood.”
“Thanks so much for leading and facilitating a lovely morning of writing. I got a lot out of it and it helped me think differently about voice and writing more authentically.”
“I really enjoyed being able to make time to write. Looking forward to the next one. I feel like motherhood and its demands take over and it's so hard to carve space to create. Thanks for doing this Alice 🪄”
a little about me
I'm Alice Kinsella, I'm a writer and neurodivergent mum. I've published five books, including Milk: on motherhood and madness (Picador, '23), and have taught creative writing for twelve years.
I've really enjoyed my career so far, but last year I burned out and knew I had to change how much I was doing.
I have ADHD, PMOS, and I'm working on creating more balance in my life so I can be more present for my son. Moving my work online is a huge part of that.
I knew that I wanted to keep teaching. I LOVE working with writers. Because I have been the person who wants to write but can't find the time, felt like they didn't know the rules, was sure it was something I was going to mess up.
When I had my baby in 2019, I often felt selfish or like a bad mother by wanting to keep writing. I even considered giving it up. I was so used to feeling shame that I thought I should put myself last.
But I realised that writing made me happier, and kept me sane, and that made me a better mum!
Mothers get dismissed in this world. The labour of care isn't valued, even though it's what keeps society running. If mothers were given the opportunities and support to nurture their own wellbeing it would be good for them, their children, and society at large.
And here's something I never expected:
my best writing has all happened since becoming a mother.
I wanted to bring the skills I've learned in twelve years of teaching, across an MA in writing, publishing five books, and most importantly, as a mother who writes, to do work that I truly believe will help build a kinder, more creative world. Starting with my own little corner of the world.
So now I host creative writing workshops, communities, and retreats for women, especially mothers, to help them write their own stories so they can live shame free (and teach their kids to too).
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can email me at:
alice@alicekinsellawriter.com
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Both! This is a two part masterclass. In another world, I’d run it as a day long workshop, but this is for mothers and I don’t know about you but getting a full weekend day of childcare isn’t easy in our house.
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Both sessions will be recorded and available to participants for at least one year.
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To keep this as accessible as possible there won’t be live feedback in these sessions, though there’ll be some time to share if you’d like.
However if you would like written feedback on your work I’m offering a small number of one on one sessions at a 65% discount for this workshop only.
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We will look at writing memoir through the lens of motherhood but you do not need to be a mother to partake. If you feel the below describes you you are more than welcome.
• Mothers with a writing practice or ambition who want to write about maternity, motherhood, and mothering.
• Writers (mothers or not) who want to explore the themes of the workshop with depth and craft